New Norwegian ministers named

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 October 2005, 15:11 GMT]
The new Norwegian Prime Minister Mr. Jens Stotenberg, presented Monday the ministerial portfolios in his new "Red-Green-alliance" Government to the Norwegian King Harald V. The New Norwegian Foreign Minister is Jonas Gahr Støre, 45, the Secretary General of the Norwegian Red Cross and a close confidante of the Labour Party president and the new Prime Minister Stoltenberg. Mr. Erik Solheim, 50, the Special Envoy to Sri Lanka is the new Development Minister.

Mr. Solheim belongs to the Socialist Left Party (SV), the next largest party in the new coalition.

Ten ministers are from the Labour Party (AP), five from the SV and four from the Agrarian Party (SP), media reports in Norway said Monday.

Kristin Halvorsen, the leader of SV, is the new Finance Minister in the country.

The new Norwegian FM, Jonas Gahr Støre, has served under four Norwegian Prime Ministers Jan P. Syse, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Thorbjørn Jagland and Kjell Magne Bondevik, and served as Director of Staff under Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. He has also served as the Director of World Health Organisation (WHO) prior to his assignment in the Norwegian Red Cross in 2003.

Erik Solheim served as the leader of SV between 1987-1997.